Friday, March 19, 2010

Boy Scouts and child molesters

Confidential files from the Boy Scouts of America show that the organization knew of at least 1,000 suspected child molesters from 1965 to 1985 and tried to hush it up, an attorney in a sexual abuse lawsuit charges.

The accusations came in the opening day Wednesday of a $14 million civil suit in Portland, Ore., brought by the victim of a man who confessed to Scout leaders that he had molested 17 Scouts but was allowed to continue participating in Scouting activities, The Oregonian reports.

The Boy Scouts had fought to keep the files confidential, but the state Supreme Court rejected their argument that opening them could damage the lives and reputations of people not a party to the lawsuit, the Associated Press says.

About Me

Lifelong Democrat; Former president, Broward County, Florida Young Democrats; Former member, Broward County, Florida Democratic Executive Committee; Former city commissioner, City of Cooper City, Florida; Graduate, The University of Florida; Practicing attorney, Miami, Florida; Member, The Florida Bar; Member, North American Snowsports Journalists Association; Broward County Young Democrats' Trailblazer of the Year, 1994; Broward County Young Democrats' Young Democrat of the Year, 1996.